Visa application with Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)
2024/11/11
For German click HERE
- Paid activities*, even if shorter than 90 days.
*paid activities: Activities for which applicants receive money from the Japanese side for the activity carried out in Japan. Expense allowances may not be considered as payment, but the decision on this is the sole responsibility of the Japanese Embassy or Consulates General.
Guarantors must apply for a CoE at the nearest Immigration Services Agency. It usually takes 2-3 months for the CoE to be issued. After receiving the CoE, a visa application must be submitted to the Japanese mission abroad.
Please apply at the consulate or embassy responsible for your place of residence.
Regarding visa application procedure at the Embassy in Berlin see here.
When applying, please submit all documents not requested in the original as copies (in DIN-A4 format).
The application documents should generally not be stapled and have no paper clips!
Guarantor in Japan:
1. Certificate of Eligibility CoE (*): Printout from scan or from digital CoE, original optional
Applicant:
1. Passport (original and copy)
2. Non-German and non-EU citizens: valid residence permit for Germany
3. Visa application form with passport photo
- Citizens from CIS states as well as Georgia and Ukraine please submit 2 application forms and 2 photos.
- Please do not forget to include your contact details (email, telephone number), your signature and answer the questions on the second page.
- Photo: frontal photo, no scans or copied passport photos; 45mm x 35mm; not older than 6 months and not damaged
(*) Notes on the CoE:
- From the date of issue of the CoE, a visa must be applied for and Japan must be entered within 3 months. Otherwise, the CoE loses its validity and can no longer be used.
- The application conditions for visas with CoE have been eased. Both visa applications and entry into Japan can also be made with only the copy of the CoE. At the same time, CoEs will also be issued purely digitally in some cases. Visa applications and entry into Japan must be made with a printout of the digital version.
Applicants who have nevertheless received the CoE in original paper form should, if possible, present it in this form at the latest when entering Japan.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents.
When is a Certificate of Eligibility CoE (在留資格認定証明書) necessary?
- Long-term stays in Japan (at least 6 months), e.g. transfer to Japan, study abroad, family reunion, etc.- Paid activities*, even if shorter than 90 days.
*paid activities: Activities for which applicants receive money from the Japanese side for the activity carried out in Japan. Expense allowances may not be considered as payment, but the decision on this is the sole responsibility of the Japanese Embassy or Consulates General.
Who applies for a CoE and where?
Applications are usually made through a guarantor in Japan, e.g. job, spouse, university, etc.Guarantors must apply for a CoE at the nearest Immigration Services Agency. It usually takes 2-3 months for the CoE to be issued. After receiving the CoE, a visa application must be submitted to the Japanese mission abroad.
Required documents
Please apply at the consulate or embassy responsible for your place of residence.
Regarding visa application procedure at the Embassy in Berlin see here.
When applying, please submit all documents not requested in the original as copies (in DIN-A4 format).
The application documents should generally not be stapled and have no paper clips!
Guarantor in Japan:
1. Certificate of Eligibility CoE (*): Printout from scan or from digital CoE, original optional
Applicant:
1. Passport (original and copy)
2. Non-German and non-EU citizens: valid residence permit for Germany
3. Visa application form with passport photo
- Citizens from CIS states as well as Georgia and Ukraine please submit 2 application forms and 2 photos.
- Please do not forget to include your contact details (email, telephone number), your signature and answer the questions on the second page.
- Photo: frontal photo, no scans or copied passport photos; 45mm x 35mm; not older than 6 months and not damaged
(*) Notes on the CoE:
- From the date of issue of the CoE, a visa must be applied for and Japan must be entered within 3 months. Otherwise, the CoE loses its validity and can no longer be used.
- The application conditions for visas with CoE have been eased. Both visa applications and entry into Japan can also be made with only the copy of the CoE. At the same time, CoEs will also be issued purely digitally in some cases. Visa applications and entry into Japan must be made with a printout of the digital version.
Applicants who have nevertheless received the CoE in original paper form should, if possible, present it in this form at the latest when entering Japan.
Information for artists and orchestras
- The above-mentioned documents must be prepared individually for each member.
- Application and collection can be done by proxy with an informal power of attorney; also possible for groups.
- All passports should be submitted as original. There should be at least 2 empty pages.
- For dual citizenship: the passport submitted must match the nationality on the CoE
- Processing can take 2-3 weeks. Therefore, please contact the embassy in due time.
- Please also submit an alphabetical list with names and nationalities of all applicants.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents.